Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Chapter 62 A Divine Move (7)

It was clearly my mistake.

The trouble had started when I couldn't think of a suitable name and simply chose Dangsan-ri as my username.

-Sudamgaek has recommended the game record from June 2, 2025, at 04:22.

-BrilliantMoveMaster has recommended the game record from June 2, 2025, at 04:22.

-Dongsik72 has recommended the game record from June 2, 2025, at 04:26.

-OctoberBloom has recommended the game record from June 2, 2025, at 04:23.

...

These were the messages displayed in the countless pop-up windows that appeared as soon as I logged into OnGame Go.

The games I'd played had even been uploaded to a Go website under the rather grand title of "The Dangsan-ri Game Record Collection."

"You've become quite the celebrity. Why didn't you just use the coffeehouse's name while you were at it? Heh heh."

"Just imagining that is terrifying."

Fortunately, there were several places called Dangsan-ri, making it difficult to pinpoint my location. If this had been the only Dangsan-ri, I probably would have spent the next several months feeling as though I were sitting on a bed of nails.

"Then couldn't you just keep quiet and do nothing?"

"The Haedong Divine Maiden is right. Even those fellows who came here out of desperation simply drank their coffee and left peacefully, didn't they? A few more might come, but this too shall pass. Just leave things as they are."

It was the best possible strategy.

And it wasn't particularly difficult to follow.

I just didn't feel like doing so.

"..."

"Seeing how this rascal has gone quiet again, he must be plotting something."

"I was just thinking for a moment. Still, they were the first human customers to visit the coffeehouse, and I feel bad about sending them away like that."

"Huh? Come to think of it, Dohyeok, who came here last time, is Jinseong's subordinate."

"Not my subordinate. He's my coworker."

Dohyeok was an exception because he'd known the address and deliberately come looking for me. This was the first time humans had actually visited the coffeehouse as customers.

Of course, one of them had come for an extremely basic reason.

Even without asking, I could vaguely guess why the other had searched all the way here using nothing more than the username Dangsan-ri. When you're lost, you find yourself wanting to follow even the faint light of a tiny firefly.

Perhaps because of that desperation, he hadn't even finished half the coffee I'd served him.

I didn't know what was so special about the Go I played, but if it could help him, I intended to keep playing whenever I had spare time.

-Ding.

How many layers of recommendation pop-ups had I closed?

Just when I thought I could finally play a game, another pop-up appeared.

【2025 OnGame Masters Go Tournament】

-Tournament Dates: June 21, 2025 (Sat) – June 22, 2025 (Sun)

-Tournament Venue: OnGame Go Channel (Tournament)

-Registration Period: June 2, 2025 (Mon) – June 13, 2025 (Fri), until 17:00 (First come, first served)

-Registration: Go to Page

-Tournament Rules: Refer to the image below

-Prizes:

『Champion: 20 million won + Trophy + 3 years of OnGame VIP + Offline Awards Ceremony

Runner-up: 10 million won + Trophy + 1 year of OnGame VIP + Offline Awards Ceremony

3rd–4th Place: 5 million won + 1 year of OnGame Premium + Offline Awards Ceremony

5th–9th Place: J-Pad Pro 12 + 6 months of OnGame Premium』

The information page completely erased my complacent thought of playing only when I had spare time.

The prize money for an online Go tournament was a staggering twenty million won.

It was an amount I'd never imagined.

Of course, there was no chance I could win it. I was still a complete beginner who had only just started learning Go.

But our coffeehouse had literal gods of Go.

Four of them, no less.

"I think I'll have to play Go a little more seriously. At least until the end of this month."

_____________

The following evening.

-Jingle.

The coffeehouse door opened just as I finished work.

"We're here!"

"The weather is growing hotter by the day. Bring me iced coffee today."

"We're here too."

As though they'd arranged it beforehand, the visitors poured in together and settled into their usual seats.

And today, the immortals had also arrived on Yongman's back.

"How about a game if you have some time?"

"Certainly. I'll join you once I've finished serving the coffee."

"Excellent! We'll be waiting."

Seven visitors had arrived at once.

Making seven cups of coffee didn't take me long, having already reached a masterful level of proficiency.

I served the coffees one by one from the tray on the cart, finally reaching the table where the immortals were seated.

"Hm? Are you going to play against someone else with that thing again instead of playing us?"

The immortals looked distinctly disappointed when they saw the laptop I'd brought along with the coffee.

"I didn't bring it to play myself. Didn't you promise last time that you'd learn how to play Go on this?"

"Indeed we did. Though it's so complicated that I'm not sure we'll be able to learn."

"I'll explain it in a way that's easy to understand."

They had to learn.

For the sake of my grand plan.

And in truth, they didn't need to learn anything beyond a single action.

I could handle preparing, starting, and finishing each match for them. All they really needed to learn was how to place stones using the mouse.

Since they'd already watched me play fifteen consecutive games on their first visit to the coffeehouse, the lesson ended surprisingly quickly.

"Now you can play. Once this game ends, I'll help you start the next one."

"Understood. Let's see... Move this mouse like this..."

As soon as the match began, my words seemed to fade into the background.

I quietly slipped away and returned to the table where the Elder Nine-Tailed Fox and Sani were sitting.

"But wouldn't it be unfair for gods of Go to enter a tournament?"

"It's fine. There are already plenty of AIs participating anyway. That makes me feel much less guilty."

"No, that's only eased your own guilt. I'm certain those fellows see things differently."

"I've already prepared a solution for that."

"Hm?"

My plan had practically begun already.

The immortal playing Go, along with the other three immortals watching the game and silently moving their lips, looked just like children wandering around an arcade after running out of coins.

It was almost a cruel punishment.

After taking turns playing against one another for countless ages, they'd finally been given the chance to face different opponents, only to find themselves forced to wait their turn.

And they had to wait through three whole games.

"Are you enjoying yourselves?"

"Hoho, I never dreamed that Go in the mortal world had changed so much. In the blink of an eye, solid territory has formed around the large group."

"But isn't it inconvenient having to take turns because there's only one laptop?"

"Even so, being able to play such entertaining Go makes the wait worthwhile."

"There is a way you wouldn't have to wait."

"Hm? But there's only one of these little machines. How could we avoid waiting?"

"A Go tournament will be held soon. Apparently, they're giving away Go-playing devices that are much better than a laptop as prizes."

I played the video I'd prepared on my phone.

"The screen displaying the Go board is much larger and brighter. And instead of using a mouse, you can simply press your finger against the glass as though placing a stone, and a stone will appear there."

"Oh!"

"They're giving them to five people, so I think each of you could win one."

Anything beyond that would be troublesome for me too.

Even if we ranked higher and won prize money, buying J-Pads with those winnings would be far more profitable, but we'd have to attend the awards ceremony.

Fortunately, all four of them enjoyed playing Go rather than staking their lives on winning, so we only needed to settle comfortably around fifth place.

That was the only solution to the pitiful situation of four immortals taking turns playing Go on a single laptop.

"When did you say the tournament was?"

"I'll help you register."

"Please do."

The immortals' eyes burned with fighting spirit as they asked about the tournament dates.

Their determination to obtain the latest Go board(?) was so intense that even I, the one who had ignited it, was startled.

I would be the true winner of this Go tournament.

After all, four J-Pads would be ours at the very least.

_____________

At the same time, National Champion Han and Master Park were waiting for their late dinner delivery in the Go academy office after finishing their final lesson.

"Good grief, looks like they're holding it again this year. That stubborn old man has one foot in the grave, yet he still won't listen. Why can't he just exclude all the AIs from the main tournament and hold it offline? Don't you agree? Does he really think professionals will participate otherwise? Especially after National Champion Han got completely demolished."

"They'll figure it out. It's not like that's the only online tournament."

"Still, they're supposed to be the biggest Go gaming company in South Korea. This is ridiculous. Even now, practically everyone above fifth dan is an AI, so the trainees only use it to analyze game records."

Apparently still upset, Master Park turned his enlarged phone screen toward National Champion Han.

"Look at this year's participant list. There's a whole truckload of IT companies nobody's ever heard of."

"Hey, get that out of here. I'm in the middle of a game."

"Ahem. Sorry."

"Wait!"

Just as the embarrassed Master Park was about to withdraw his phone, National Champion Han grabbed his wrist.

"What is it all of a sudden?"

-2025 OnGame Masters Go Tournament Participant List.

『Registration Number Username

1349 AlphaGo Solution

1350 Horibiri

1351 hanjin09

...

1572 Dangsan-ri

...』

"Master Park, registration for the dan-ranked division is still open, right?"

"Yeah, it's first come, first served. But I don't think anyone else has registered yet."

"I'm entering this tournament. Register me."

"Are you insane? Why the hell would you enter this?"

-Bang.

Master Park, who usually wore a good-natured smile, slammed his hand against the desk in fury.

The fact that he'd addressed him as "you" rather than "National Champion Han" showed just how angry he was.

Ordinarily, National Champion Han would have backed down when Master Park became this furious, but not today.

"I have to enter."

"Do you think the reporters will leave you alone if you enter this tournament? It doesn't matter that it's online and your face won't be shown! They'll plaster your picture from the last tournament everywhere and tear you apart throughout the entire competition! Don't you understand that?"

It was a distorted league populated by computers rather than people.

Occasionally, a lucky amateur might make it into the top ten, but they were no match for Go AIs that had already developed to an extraordinary level.

The situation wasn't much different for professional players.

For popular players with sponsoring companies, and especially for players like National Champion Han who had no desire to earn the distinction of losing to an AI, it was practically a tournament that didn't exist.

Yet now, of all people, the very man who had suffered that humiliation was declaring his intention to enter again.

But no matter how angrily Master Park argued, or how thoroughly he explained the consequences they both knew would follow, National Champion Han's gaze never wavered.

"Good grief. I suppose there's nothing you won't do when you're determined to ruin yourself. Fine. Let's enter this tournament, lose everything cleanly, and head to my father's orchard."

'Your family's orchard hasn't been profitable either. You put it up for sale two years ago...'

He forced himself to swallow the words he couldn't bring himself to say.

If they were to rank whose life was closer to ruin, Park Gidong, 9-dan, was in a far more precarious position than he was.

But on second thought, with a reputation built on barely qualifying for the main rounds of national tournaments, Park Gidong probably wouldn't attract much controversy.

And those words, too, never escaped his slightly parted lips.